Why is my 8-year-old cat skinny, eating a lot, and losing fur? Is it thyroid?

Cats who are thin despite eating well who also have areas of baldness can be suffering from an endocrine disease called hyperthyroidism. I recommend getting his thyroid levels tested by a veterinarian who does this type of testing.

Since Fred is an older kitty it is likely he is suffering from an overactive thyroid. Kidney disease and diabetes can also cause this. I suggest you take him to your vet for an exam and a blood test. Hyperthyroidism is easily treated with thyreostatic medicine and is likely the most common cause for the weight loss.

Significant weight loss is always a concern, especially if his appetite is good. Hormonal conditions such as diabetes and thyroid disease or poor absorption and digestion of his food is possible and I would recommend a full physical and blood panel as soon as possible in order to stabilise his condition before he becomes too frail

These are indeed an unusual set of symptoms, thyroid disease and diabetes would be the first suspects for a cat with increasing appetite and weight loss. A specialist ultrasound scan of the abdomen may be worth while to investigate difficulties with food digestion and absorption or even tumours using up the calories

Thanks for visiting Petcoach. A lot of vets have a hard time assessing an overweight cat during an exam, mainly because some cats have a short temper and we are working against the clock in a lot of these cases. So sometimes we cannot feel for the ribs, spine, etc. It is very possible that Jasper was overweight to begin with and now is more ideal weight. Without a photo attached it is hard to tell, but as long as his other faculties are intact (i.e. eating well, normal stools), then I would not worry about the weight loss. The weight control food is limiting his calorie intake, and with his activity level, he is likely just going back down to his normal standard weight. He should level off with he weight loss once he has reached his ideal weight soon, if this is the case. Here is a website link so that you can assess his BCS (body condition score) yourself at home https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/PDF_old/Body-condition-score-chart-cats.pdf If however, you are still concerned about his weight loss, and he seems overly hungry, then I would be suspicious of underlying thyroid disease. A thyroid test would be next on the agenda if he meets these criteria. Thyroid disease is typically easily managed in cats and he is of the age where we do see more of this disorder. i hope that Jasper's weight loss is attributed to his new food and that he starts to level off with his weight soon! Best wishes and take care.

I am very sorry to hear about Jag. These symptoms are definitely concerning. I am not sure if by saying he is not keeping "food in" this means he is vomiting, or if he is just eating alot but not putting on weight. We would be worried about a variety of problems including hyperthyroidism, diabetes, kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, GI lymphoma, and more. I would recommend getting Jag into the vet as soon as possible for an exam. After his physical they may recommend bloodwork, x-ray or ultrasound to help pinpoint hte cause of his symptoms and determine the best treatment for Jag.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. So sorry your cat is having this issue. I suggest you get him to your vet for a check up and some blood testing. Thyroid disease is very common in older cats as is kidney disease and diabetes. All of these things can cause similar symptoms and all are easily diagnosed with simple blood testing. You need to realize that at 17 years old he is about 85 in human years. At this age, things start to fail and go wrong. You need to find out what is wrong so you know how to best treat him. Some things are very easily treated with daily medications. I don't think this is something you are going to be able treat at home without knowing what the underlying cause is. Hope this helps. Best wishes!